Cleaning apparatus



July 9, 1940- T. DIGMAN CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5l, 1936 lmezfo.

IIIA r r Cil pneumatic tools.

Patented July 9, 194,0

UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE y 2,207,659 "j i CLEANING APPARATUS lThomas Digman, Pittsburgh, Pa. Appliaaqn December s1, 1936, serial-N0. 118,671

2 Claims.

Thisinvention relates vto cleaning apparatus and has particular reference to improved apparatus for cleaning the air-ports and barrels of In order to insure eiiicient operation of most pneumatic devices and to keep-the Wear on barrels and pistons of pneumatic devices to a minimum, frequent cleaning of the operating -parts thereof is necessary and it is theobject of this invention to provide improved vapparatus by which such operating parts `can be rapidly and thoroughly lcleaned and prepared for reassembly.

The above and further objects will be apparent from the following description and in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional elevation on line III-III of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the cleaning head or nozzle.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 2 indicates a support whichpreferably'is held in a vertical position. The support 2 is made movable by securing it to a base-plate 4 of such size that the support 2 is held upright by the base-plate 4 and not easily overturned. Ihe support 2 has an arm 6, provided with a-ring portion 8, secured thereto. The ring portion 8 of the arm 6 is adapted to receive a barrel Ill of a pneumatic hammer, or other similar device. The barrel Il! has port-holes Il therethrough. To adapt the apparatus to handle a variety of parts, the ring 8 caneither be provided with means for adjusting its diameter or, if desired, a key l2 for locking the barrel I0 (or other parts) in the ring 8.

As the apparatus must be provided with means for moving the ring portion 8 of the arm 6 into and out of engagement with the barrel l0, a spring M is positioned on the support 2, above and resting on the arm ii. A sleeve I is slidably'carried by the support 2 and ordinarily bears upon the top surface of the spring I4. The sleeve lli preferably has an arm iii extending therefrom to which a manifold 29, or similar device, is secured.

Means for engaging with the barrel i0, such as a nozzle 22,` is secured to the manifold 23 so that it extends toward and is immediately above the barrel Hl when the manifold 20 is in its normal position. The nozzle 22 is preferably provided with tubes 24 which are designed to engage the port-holes Il when the nozzle 22 is engaged with the barrel I0. As the apparatus is designed to clean a variety of barrels, or similar parts, the positions of the` tubes ,'24 preferably are adjustable so that they may engage therewith. However, the same result'can be obtained by supplying the apparatus with a plurality of nozzles which are adapted to be substituted for the nozzle 22 and` to engage with the various parts to be cleaned.

A plurality of dowel pins 2li, or other similar means, preferably are carried by the nozzle 22 so that the nozzle 22 can be properly aligned with the barrel i0. When the dowel pins 26 are engaged with the barrel l0 the tubes 24 are adapted to be engaged with the port-holes i i.

In order to provide means for moving the nozzle 22 into and from engagement with the barrel I0, means, such as a link 28, is p-ivotally secured to the arm 6 on the side ofthe support 2 which is opposite the ring 8. A lever 30 is fulcrumed to the link 28 and pivotally secured to the sleeve I6 by a stud, or the like, so that as the lever 3l) is moved downwardly, it thereby compresses the spring I4 and carries the sleeve It andthe nozzle 22 in a downward direction. By compressing the spring I4 a suicient amount, the nozzle 22 can be brought into engagement with the barrel l0. When no downward pressureis applied to the lever 30, the apparatus returns to its normal position as the spring i4 assumes its uncompressed position in which the nozzle 22 and the barrel Ill are not engaged.

As the invention is designed to completely prepare the barrel I0 for repeated use, lubricating fluid must be forced into the barrel Ill after it has been cleaned. As the support 2 is preferably movable a tank 32, containing a liquid lubricant, may be associated therewith. Thektank 32 connects to the manifold 2li by a flexible tube 34 and is provided with a pet-cock 33 which controls the flow of lubricant into the tube 34. A valve 36 controls the flow of lubricant to the manifold from the tube 34.

One of the most effective methods of cleaning the barrel l0 is to blow compressed air therethrough.- Therefore, to supply compressed air to the apparatus, a eXible tube 33 is connected between the manifold 20 and a suitable source of compressed air (not shown). A valve 40 is provided for controlling the flow of air to the manifold 20. The manifold 20 is so constructed and yarranged that the compressed air from the .tube 38 flows into and through the manifold 20 and picks up lubricant fro-m the tube 34 when the valve 36 is open. The air, of course, flows from .the manifold 20 through the nozzle 22. Therefore when the dowel pins 26 and the tubes 24 are engaged with the barrel I 0 and the port-holes Il, respectively, a flow of air through the barrel port-holes is produced. 'I'his air ow carries out with it any dirt, rust or grid present in the barrel I 6 and port-holes I l. The lubricant in the air effectively prepares the barrel IU for reassembly in the apparatus from which it was taken.

I n order to collect the dirt and lubricant blown from the barrel I0 the base-plate 4 may be supplied with a box 42 having an apertured top situated immediately below the open end of the barrel I0. By filling the box 42 with cotton waste, or similar material, the excess lubricant, as well as the d-irt or grit that is blown from the barrel l0, can be collected by such -waste material.

Guilde means, such as rods 44, are preferably secured to the support 2 in such a manner that the lever 3U and the sleeve I6 are prevented from moving in a circumferential direction around the support 2.

In actual use, it is preferable to shut the valve 36 when the air is rst permitted to flow through the Valve 40. This initial air blast can then carry all the loose dirt and grit out of the barrel I6. Afterwards the Valve 36 lcan be opened and the lubricant carried into the barrel I0 and the port-holes H to effectively prepare them for replacement in the tool from which they were taken.

While I have sho-wn and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not Wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cleaning and lubricating the barrel and port-holes of a pneumatic tool in-v cluding, in combination, a support, means carried by said support for securely holding the barrel of a pneumatic tool, ay nozzle movably mounted on said, support oppositesaid barrel holding means, and a plurality of dowel pins and tubes arranged annularly on said nozzle and extending outwardly therefrom, said dowel pins and tubes adapted to engage with the port-holes of said barrel so as to guide and position the nozzle in engagement and alignment therewith upon movement thereof.

2. Apparatus for cleaning and lubricating the barrel and port-holes vof a pneumatic toolin- 1 cluding, in combination, a vertical support, means carried by said support for securely holding the barrel of a pneumatic tool, a nozzle movably mounted on said support above said barrel hold-` ing means, and a plurality of port-hole engaging means arrangedgon said nozzle and extending downwardly therefrom, said engaging means adapted to engage with the port-holes of said. barrel soas to guide and position the nozzle in engagement and alignment therewith upon 5 movement thereof.

THOMAS DIGMAN. 

